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Tennessee PoliticsMon, 07 Apr 2014 14:51:50 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6Ramsey was just answeringhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/ramsey-was-just-answering/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/ramsey-was-just-answering/#commentsTue, 04 Aug 2009 19:15:07 +0000Ryan Underwoodhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=5986While it appeared Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, up and decided to thrust himself into the issue of Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court last week, Ramsey says he was only responding to a question.

Once he had responded, he then decided to issue his press release, as lietenant governor, on the issue last Friday, he said.

The formal statement appeared to be an unusual step, coming from a state official on a federal matter, and even led to some speculation about why Ramsey chimed in — a theory of political motivation, which Ramsey dispels.

Ramsey said he was asked at an event in Maryville last week if he’d be voting for Sotomayor if he were a U.S. senator and he replied that he wouldn’t if he were in the Senate. He said he was asked if Sen. Lamar Alexander, who had announced he’d vote yes on the nominee, should vote for her, and Ramsey said to be honest no he shouldn’t. Ramsey’s concerns are centered on Sotomayor’s stances on the Second Amendment, which grants the right to bear arms, and other states’ rights issues, he said.

He was asked why he chose to step in to a federal issue the way he did.

I just felt it was important to make a statement where I would be,” he said. “I was asked. After that, we just put out the statement. I think it’s important that we as Tennesseans stand up and tell our elected officials how we feel on issues, and this is one of those important issues. It’s a fundamental right on the Second Amendment, in my opinion, in particular. And it goes deeper than that for her. If you don’t respect that right, what other rights of the Constitution are you not going to respect?”

The Tennessee Journal, an authoritative, substantive weekly newsletter on state government, seemed to suggest Ramsey might have been motivated to speak out since his opponents in the governor’s race have ties to Alexander — with Bill Haslam consultant Tom Ingram a longtime Alexander aide, Zach Wamp communications director John Crisp a former Alexander assistant and Bill Gibbons himself a former Alexander aide.

Ramsey was asked if he was taking a jab at Haslam. He reacted with surprise at the suggestion and said no.

I was making a stance of where I was on this issue, and I wasn’t thinking about any other camp when I said that,” he said.

“Tennesseans should strongly encourage their U.S. Senators to vote ‘no’ on her elevation to the U.S. Supreme Court,” Ramsey said in a statement.

“All Tennesseans who value their right to own firearms and defend themselves should be deeply troubled by the possibility of Judge Sotomayor’s confirmation,” he said.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester responds with a little armchair analysis of Ramsey’s statement, calling it “pandering to his extreme far right base” that will hurt his election chances. And to help ensure voters make the connection, Forrester places Ramsey in the TNDP’s usual rogue’s gallery of conservative politicians.

I just wish Republicans like Ramsey, Corker, Rep. Stacey Campfield, Congressman Marsha Blackburn and congressional candidate Robin Smith would focus their energy on solving problems, not trying to divide people with dishonest rhetoric and shameful scare tactics.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/ramsey-to-voters-put-the-pressure-on-lamar-to-oppose-latina-supreme-court-nominee/feed/5Lamar will vote for Sotomayor, Corker will nothttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/lamar-will-vote-for-sotomayor-corker-will-not/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/lamar-will-vote-for-sotomayor-corker-will-not/#commentsThu, 30 Jul 2009 15:18:47 +0000Chas Siskhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/lamar-will-vote-for-sotomayor-corker-will-not/Lamar Alexander went to the Senate floor this morning to explain why he’ll be the sixth Republican to vote for Sonia Sotomayor’s appointment to the Supreme Court, the AP reports.

Even though Judge Sotomayor’s political and judicial philosophy may be different than mine, especially regarding Second Amendments rights, I will vote to confirm her because she is well qualified by experience, temperament, character and intellect to serve.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/lamar-will-vote-for-sotomayor-corker-will-not/feed/1GOP senators wait to see on Sotomayorhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/gop-senators-wait-to-see-on-sotomayor/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/gop-senators-wait-to-see-on-sotomayor/#commentsMon, 13 Jul 2009 14:16:18 +0000Bill Theobaldhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=5365Tennessee’s two Republican senators are playing it cautious leading into today’s start of the confirmation hearings of Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Neither Sens. Lamar Alexander nor Bob Corker is on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will conduct the hearings, but both will be keeping an eye on how things play out.

“Judge Sotomayor and I had a good visit, and she has an impressive background,” Alexander said in a statement. “It is the Senate’s responsibility to give her both respectful and rigorous scrutiny, and until then she should be neither pre-confirmed nor pre-judged.”

Corker offered effusive praise of Sotomayor’s resume. “She is no doubt a testament to a strong work ethic,” he said.

But he also added this: “The American people want to make sure we have judges who are not activists, who will interpret the law.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/gop-senators-wait-to-see-on-sotomayor/feed/0Corker-Sotomayor confab to be held todayhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/corker-sotomayor-confab-to-be-held-today/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/corker-sotomayor-confab-to-be-held-today/#commentsTue, 23 Jun 2009 14:31:01 +0000Chas Siskhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/corker-sotomayor-confab-to-be-held-today/A spokeswoman for Sen. Bob Corker sends word that his landmark summit with Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor will take place today, after being rescheduled from last week.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/corker-sotomayor-confab-to-be-held-today/feed/1Corker catches flack for bailing on Sotomayorhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/corker-catches-flack-for-bailing-on-sotomayor/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/corker-catches-flack-for-bailing-on-sotomayor/#commentsMon, 22 Jun 2009 18:51:56 +0000Chas Siskhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/corker-catches-flack-for-bailing-on-sotomayor/The junior senator from Tennessee is getting grief for not waiting more than 10 minutes for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as she made her cast-encumbered rounds of the U.S. Capitol late last week.

Corker apparently felt no qualms about missing the engagement. He shared the anecdote all on his own with the Tennessee press corps in D.C.

But bloggers nonetheless made hay of the incident over the weekend, with some questioning whether Corker showed enough — ahem — empathy toward Sotomayor during her hobbled plight.

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/senators-split-votes-on-court-nominee/feed/0Conservatives pounce on Sotomayor appearancehttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/conservatives-pounce-on-sotomayor-appearance/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/conservatives-pounce-on-sotomayor-appearance/#commentsTue, 26 May 2009 16:10:50 +0000Ryan Underwoodhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=3901Barely two hours after Pres. Obama announced federal judge Sonia Sotomayor as his pick for the U.S. Supreme Court, a video is already coursing through the bloggy ether showing the nominee saying in a panel discussion at Duke University that appeals courts are where “policy is made.”

]]>http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/conservatives-pounce-on-sotomayor-appearance/feed/3Alexander won’t prejudge court nomineehttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/alexander-wont-prejudge-court-nominee/
http://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/2009/alexander-wont-prejudge-court-nominee/#commentsTue, 26 May 2009 15:11:19 +0000Bill Theobaldhttp://blogs.tennessean.com/politics/?p=3889Sen. Lamar Alexander released the following statement in the wake of President Barack Obama’s nomination today of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be a Supreme Court justice.

“It is the Senate’s responsibility to give the president’s Supreme Court nominee both respectful and rigorous scrutiny. The nominee should neither be pre-confirmed nor pre-judged.”